building

noun

build·​ing ˈbil-diŋ 

1

: a usually roofed and walled structure built for permanent use (as for a dwelling)

2

: the art or business of assembling materials into a structure

Synonyms

• structure
• house
• edifice

Examples of building in a Sentence

My office is in that small brick building.

We bought the land for building.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cause of crash is being investigated Videos of the accident show the carriage toppled to its side and crashed into a building on the steep and narrow street, with parts of the streetcar crumpled. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 4 Sep. 2025

Bathroom regulations for government buildings Texas Lawmakers approved legislation regulating which bathrooms people use in government buildings, sending the bill to Abbott. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2025

Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez are seemingly unstoppable, and their building has a seemingly infinite number of murders in this Hulu mystery comedy. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025

The sides and top of the car were damaged, and the car appeared to have crashed into a building where the road bends. —Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing building

• apartment building
• building block
• building society
• sick building syndrome
• world building

Rhymes for building

• gilding
• boatbuilding
• outbuilding
• rebuilding
• roadbuilding
• shipbuilding
• upbuilding
• bodybuilding

Kids Definition

building

noun

build·​ing ˈbil-diŋ 

1

: a permanent structure built as a dwelling, shelter, or place for human activity or for storage

an office building

2

: the art, work, or business of assembling materials into a structure